Former Health Minister Zahid Maleque took an initiative to establish a factory for the state-owned Essential Drugs Company Limited (EDCL). The project, aimed at setting up the facility in Manikganj, received approval from the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on 5 April, 2022. With an estimated cost of Tk 1,905 crore — including Tk 115.66 crore earmarked for land acquisition — the government-funded project was placed under the implementation of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, scheduled to run from April 2022 to March 2027.
The proposed site for the project was 31.5 acres of land in Meghshimuli area under Jagir Union of Manikganj Sadar upazila. However, most of the land in the designated mouzas was owned by Zahid Maleque and his children, while some plots were donated in the name of his son-in-law. The plan allegedly aimed to sell the lands at three times the price after acquisition, which, according to then Deputy Commissioner (DC) Muhammad Abdul Latif, would cause the government a loss of around Tk 100 crore. The DC even wrote to the Health Ministry warning about this.
Initially, the factory was supposed to be established in Ukhiya village of the district. Zahid Maleque reportedly bought 31 acres of low-lying land there under the names of himself, his family members, and ruling party followers, with the intent of misappropriating public funds. He also filled the low land with sand to artificially raise its market value. When officials from the ministry visited the site, DC Abdul Latif objected, pointing out that the land was overpriced and categorized as low-lying residential land. Enraged, the former minister allegedly pressured for the DC’s removal. At the same time, a section of the Awami League and the local Chhatra League president threatened the DC to leave the district within 48 hours. Shortly afterward, DC Abdul Latif was transferred and replaced by Rehena Akhter, a former Chhatra League leader. Following protests by local students and residents, she was also later transferred.
In another incident, Zahid Maleque filled his ancestral 15 bighas of low land in Kamta mouza under Dhankhora Union of Saturia upazila using dredgers around the clock. During the filling, 78 decimals of land belonging to Khademul Islam Pinu, owner of Nahar Garden, were allegedly encroached upon. Pinu said the former minister filed false cases against him after he resisted the land grab. Once the land was filled, a cattle market and a vegetable wholesale market were set up there, through which Maleque’s followers reportedly extorted large sums of money from locals under the pretext of shop allocations. Later, the markets were shut down.
In Jagir area, Maleque also established a factory named Carbon Holdings Limited. Locals alleged that several acres of farmland were forcibly taken from farmers by a faction of the Awami League during this process. Three people reportedly lost 17 decimals of land worth several crores of taka in the current market.
When this correspondent visited Ukhiya village, the proposed site for the EDCL factory was found abandoned and covered in tall grass and wild plants. Farmer Abdus Salam said that Zahid Maleque forcibly filled 110 bighas of his farmland and paid only a nominal price — leaving 92 decimals completely unpaid for. He claimed that he used to produce 1,000–1,200 maunds of rice annually from that land, while the surrounding area yielded 7,000–8,000 maunds in total, which sustained many families. “He took all the land using political power,” he said.
Another farmer, Yunus Ali, shared a similar story, saying his land was trapped inside a ring of sand-filled plots and he was forced to sell it at Tk 40,000 per decimal, far below the actual market price of Tk 100,000. “The factory was never built, but we lost our land forever,” he said.
Investigations by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) have uncovered massive wealth accumulated by Zahid Maleque and his family. In Manikganj alone, the family reportedly owns 6,053 decimals of land. The ACC recently wrote to the local sub-registrar’s office seeking details of properties under the names of Maleque and his family. In response, the office confirmed ownership of 6,053 decimals of land.
According to ACC sources, of this total, 2,193.053 decimals are in Zahid Maleque’s name, 1,742.016 decimals under his son Rahat Maleque, and 1,118.78 decimals under his daughter Sinthia Maleque. Officials estimate that the market value of these lands exceeds several thousand crore taka, though the deeds show much lower prices.
An ACC official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “We’ve just begun the investigation. There are allegations that the former minister abused his power while in office to amass immense wealth. As part of this inquiry, we requested property details from the sub-registrar’s office, which confirmed these landholdings.” The official added that Zahid Maleque’s son Rahat holds 91 land deeds, daughter Sinthia holds 22, and the former minister himself holds 46.
Bd-pratidin English/ ANI
